BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday sounded alert in all districts, with special instructions to the Maoist-hit ones, to take precautionary measures for averting any violence in view of the ‘Kranti Divas’ call given by the Maoists on Tuesday. Home Secretary UN Behera told mediapersons here that all district collectors and SPs had been asked to sit up in view of the call and forthcoming Independence Day celebration. Maoists are observing Kranti Divas in the State since August 9, 2001, when their leader Randev was gunned down by the police. Besides Randev, another ultra was also killed when they launched attacks on two police stations (Kalimela and Motu) in Malkangiri district. Five security personnel were also killed in the encounters. Randev was one of the top-ranking leaders of the erstwhile PWG. Official sources said preventive measures had been taken in response to certain intelligence reports indicating ultras could create problem. Besides, the activities of the Maoists had also increased in several districts in recent days. Meanwhile, anti-Maoist operation in the State is all set to get a boost with the Centre providing logistics, including an helicopter and Rs 112 crore for setting up fortified police stations in the Maoist-affected regions of the State. The Centre had not been responding to the State Government’s demand for a long time in this regard. The Home Secretary said the State Government had already got a 24-seater MI-172 Pawan Hans helicopter for anti-Maoist operation. The State will have to pay Rs 1.5 crore for using the chopper for 30 hours a month, he added. The dedicated chopper will be stationed at Koraput for immediate use of security personnel engaged in combing operations along the borders with Jharkhand and Chhattishgarh. The Centre has sanctioned funds for setting up three-storey fully-fortified police stations in Maoist-hit areas in order to effectively combat the ultras. An amount of Rs140 crore will be spent on building 70 police stations in 15 Maoist-hit districts. The State Government would bear 20 per cent of the cost. The districts where such police stations would be constructed are Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
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